Billfold blank and interlock construction



Feb. 27, 1951 w. AFPENCE ET AL 2,543,334

BILLFOLD BLANK AND INTERLOCK CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 24, 1944 INVENTORS 4/ W402? H, pE/VGE $5541: .5 JP/ELMMA/ ATTORN 8Y5.

Patented Feb. 27, 1951 BILLFOLD BLANK AND INTERLOCK CONSTRUCTION William A. Pence, Adell, and Leslie S. Spielmann, West Bend, Wis., assignors to Enger-Kress Company, West Bend, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application November 24, 1944, Serial No. 564,925

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bill folds.

solid outer wall and sectional inner walls connected by a slide, it is our object to bring about a number of improvements including an arrangement whereby the slide comprises a secret pocket which, although tethered to at least one of the inner Wall sections may, nevertheless, be opened freely to expose its contents; the provision of a novel interlocking construction affording a seamless closure between the end and bottom marginal flaps which constitute the inner wall sections; and the provision of novel and improved means for affording pockets in the inner wall section, and ornamenting such pockets.

Other objects will be apparent in more detail from the following disclosure of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in elevation of the inner face of a bill fold embodying this invention, portions of the material of one of the inner wall sections being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a detail view taken in section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail view on a reduced scale looking at the inside surface of the inner wall sections, the outer wall of the bill fold being broken away to expose the interior in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a plan view on the scale of Fig. 3 of blanks from which our improved bill fold is assembled.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view in perspective showing the blanks in process of assembly.

Like parts are designated with the same reference characters throughout the several views.

Our completed bill fold comprises an outer wall 6 and inner wall sections 1 and 8 connected by a slide 9, all of which parts require more detailed description below.

The outer wall 6 comprises a panel of the blank shown in Fig. 4, wherein the blank is shown inverted. To the upper margin of panel 6 (the lower margin as viewed in Fig. 4) is attached an integral finishing flap ll]. To the center of its lower margin (the upper margin in Fig. 4) is a short finishing fiap I I which lies between the end wall sections and beneath the slide 9 in the completed bill fold.

The inner wall sections comprise the flaps l5 and IE to which ar integrally connected extensions ll, [8 respectively. Each of the flaps I5, 16 has a slit at l9 and another at 2B, slits [9 being near the respective margins 12, I3 of the flaps. The direction of these slits, as well as the form of Within that class of bill fold which includes a the inner margins 21 of the respective flaps may comprise features of design.

One of the two extensions l1, I8, in this case extension I1, is provided at 22 with a strap formed, in this instance, by parallel slits 23. Both of the extensions l1 and I8 are provided with tabs 24, 25 which serve as corner stays, as will hereinafter be pointed out.

The ends of panel 6 are provided with end flaps marginally notched at 21 and transversely slit at 28. The form of the slits 28 and the end margins 29 are cooperative in producing the desired design effect. The end flaps may be made in one piece but, preferably, in accordance with the present disclosure, comprise separate end sections 30 glued to the short tabs 3| just beyond the notches 2'1. Thus, in the instant embodiment of the invention, the end flaps are a composite of members 30, 3!.

The slide 9 comprisesa main panel 32 and a flap 33 foldable thereon and preferably materially shorter than the panel 32. Slits at 34, preferably widely spaced, receive a strap 35 having headed ends 36 which may be manipulated through the slits but preclude accidental withdrawal therefrom.

While at least one of the ends 36 is free, the panel 32 is superposed on the flap extensions I1, 18, while they are in the position shown in Figure 4, flap 33 being superposed on panel 32. With the parts in this position, the strap 35 is manipulated through the slits 23 beneath the strap 22 of extension H and then through the remaining slit 34 of th slide panel 32 whereby the slide panel becomes tethered to flap extension I! of one of the inner wall sections of the bill fold. However, the very substantial length of strap 35 with respect to the narrow anchoring strap 22 of the inner wall section, permits considerable sliding movement of the slide 9 longitudinally of the bill fold.

The tethering of the slide to extension flap II being completed, the two extensions l1 and I8 and the superposed slide 9 are folded onto the flaps I5 and I6 and thereupon the flaps l5, IS with the extensions and slide attached, are folded onto the panel 6. The stay tab 24, with adhesive applied, is folded beneath the superposed flap assembly as above described and adhesively joined to the underlying outer wall panel 6, as described in the companion applica-- tion of William A. Pence, entitled Stitchless Billfold with Interlocked Closure Flaps, filed November 24, 1944, Serial No. 564,923, now Patent No. 2,434,121, issued January 6, 1948.

The stay tab 25, with adhesive applied to its accidental withdrawal.

- strengthening the lock of the corner tab, as well as dressing the top inner surface of the outer Wall.

To complete the bill fold, it is only necessary to interlock the end flaps 30, 3|, with the flaps l5, [6. The manner in which this is done is exemplified by the folding of the end flap 30 over the end margins of the superposed plies, ll, l5, and the interlocking of end flap 33 with flap l to constitute an inner wall section as'shown in Fig. 2. The end flap is'introduced through the "slit i9 and drawn centrally between flap i5 and extension I? to the limit of movement. At this time the shoulders beyond the notches 27 will engage the wall of the flap l5 beyond the ends of the slit therein to secure the flap 30 against A similar operation interlocks the other end flap 30 with flap 1'6.

An advantage of making the part 30 separate from, rather than integral with, the tab 3| to comprise the end flap is that considerable economy in leather is effected. However, there is also a substantial mechanical advantage in that the corners 38 of the adhesively laminated section 30 register with the shoulder beyond notches 21, thereby providing a two-ply shoulder and interlock above described. Still another advantage lies in the fact that the part 30 may conveniently be made of contrasting color or grain to contribute to the novel de- While the end flaps, throughout the major portion of their length, are generally disposed between fiaps l5 or [6 and their respective extensions ll, [8, an important design effect is provided by a further interlacing of the parts, whereby to expose portions of the sections 30 which,

it will be remembered, are preferably differentiated in color or grain or both from the material of which flaps l5, I6 are made. The form of the slit in each of the flaps l5, I6, is such as to leave a tongue at 40. After the end flaps have been introduced through the slit l9, as above described, it will be found possible to manipulate the tongues 40 through the slits 28. tongues 43, originally exposed, are now concealed beneath portions of sections and, inasmuch as slits 28 differ in shape from slits 20, the central portions 4| of sections 30, originally concealed, now overlie the tongues 40 and are exposed to produce a decorative effect, one embodiment of which is clearly shown in Fig. 1. The margins 29 of sections 30 are similarly exposed beyond j the margins 2| of flaps l5, 16, it being possible to be completely concealed within the fold. Where Thus,

4 such so-called secret pockets have been used, they have been untethered. The presence of a tethering would suggest to a thief that no such secret pocket is present.

However, by simply pulling the free end portion 44 of the slide from the envelope provided therefor by the inner wall section 1 between flap [6 and flap extension l8, it will then be possible to move the slide longitudinally of the rest of the bill fold for the remaining length of the strap 35 by which it is tethered. Within this range of movement, the margin 45 of flap 33 01' the slide will clear the inner wall section 8 completely so that this flap may then be unfolded to expose the contents of the secret pocket. To replace the slide, the flap 33 is folded back onto the panel 32 of the slide. The slide is then slid into the envelope provided by inner wall section 8, the movement of the tethering strap 35 through anchoring strap 22 accommodating this adjustment. In the course of this sliding movement, the flap 33 of the slide will again be concealed within the inner wall section 8 and the free end 44 of the slide will thereupon be manipulated into inner wall section '1.

It will be apparent that we have provided a stitchless bill fold having several features contributing to increased strength of the parts and having features also making possible numerous novelties of design, and further making it possible to have a novel and improved secret pocket arrangement.

We claim:

1. In a bill fold, a wall panel having first and second flaps connected with contiguous margins of said panel; the first flap having a free margin, a slit near said margin, and an opening more remote from said margin, and a tongue projecting from a portion of said first flap across said opening; the second flap being laced through the slit of the first flap and provided with an opening underlying a portion of said tongue and into which said tongue is laced.

2. A bill fold comprising an outer wall and spaced inner wall sections connected with the outer wall at the bottom and ends thereof, each of said inner Wall sections comprising envelopeforming plies opening toward the center of the bill fold, and a slide comprising a web longitudinally folded to constitute a multi-ply slide having its ends engaged between the envelopeforming plies of the inner wall sections and provided with means whereby said slide is tethered to one of said sections, said tethering means comprising an anchor strap connected with a ply of one of the inner wall sections and an elongated tethering strap having substantial sliding movement through said anchor strap and connected with a ply of said slide, said slide having a free end portion detachably engaged in the other of said sections, one of the plies of the slide being shorter than the other and located at the free end of the slide whereby, when the free end of the slide is disengaged from said last mentioned section and the slide is slid longitudinally upon the connection of its tethering strap with said anchoring strap, the shorter ply is exposed to be unfolded respecting the longer ply.

3. A billfold comprising an outer wall and spaced inner wall sections connected with the outer wall at the bottom and ends thereof, each of said inner wall sections comprising envelopeforming plies, opening toward the center of the billfold, and a slide comprising a web longitudi- 5 t 6 nally folded to constitute a multi-ply slide hav- REFERENCES CITED ing its ends engaged between the envelope-fawn ing plies or" the inner Wall sections and provided with means whereby said slide is tethered. to

The following references are of record in the file oi this patent:

one of said sections, the space between plies being UNITED STATES PATENTS open along one side of the slide to constitute a Numger Name Date pocket, said tethering means compr i an reeesee Buxton i May 16, 1933 anchor strap connected with a ply of one of the 1 5 59 g m June 26 1934 inner Wall sections, and an elongated tethering 9 3 9 t h t 1 7, 1936 strap having substantial sliding mov me in 2,235,906 Davi June 9, 1942 through said anchor strap and Co n With a 2,439,579 Benz Apr. 13, 1948 ply of sald slide FOREIGN PATENTS WILLIAM PENCE- Number Country Date LESLIE S. SPIELMANN- 5 199,846 Great Britain June 5, 1923 509,413 Great Britain June 13, 1939 

